Aug 022018
 

Lobster

Anyone attending his London Ontario appearance at Centennial Hall on July 21 would have noticed that Jordan Peterson’s message is no longer focused on gender issues or on his conflict with university policies. His mission has now turned towards philosophical fundamentals and the determination of Truth.

In this venture, Dr Peterson has relied heavily upon religious and mythological symbolism and metaphor, while finding himself opposed to most ‘atheistic’ philosophical interpretations of Truth. Secular philosophies, he suggests, are incapable of describing humanity’s Truth, lacking “an animated, spiritual world, saturated with meaning, imbued with moral purpose.”

This view of Truth has now itself become subject to a growing controversy, one ironically being debated amongst those who are already generally agreed that Truth and Reality are objectively determined – which includes today’s show panelists as they review some of the ideas of Jordan Peterson.

Do abstractions and religious stories used to describe Truth help clarify or confuse the issue? The correct answer may simply depend on perspective and context. Continue reading »

Lindsay Shepherd & David Haskell: Academic freedom

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Jun 192018
 

Lindsay Shepherd recounts her story to the Society for Academic Freedom and Scholarship.

With a bit of humour and a lot of grace she details the deplorable harassment she received at the hands of those who should have been her objective mentors. The personal consequences she has had to endure for standing up to her tormentors have been substantial.

In this Just Right Media exclusive video Lindsay Shepherd is interviewed by Professor David Haskell on the finer particulars of her predicament at Wilfred Laurier University. The discussion took place at the 2018 AGM of the Society for Academic Freedom and Scholarship and is followed by a question and answer period.

Mark Mercer – “Honest rudeness or insincere civility”

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Jun 192018
 

As part of a series of video presentations dealing with academic freedom and freedom of speech we present Dr. Mark Mercer, President of The Society for Academic Freedom and Scholarship.

Dr. Mercer introduces SAFS, its mission, beliefs, and goals, and follows with “Honest rudeness or insincere civility.”

He is the first of four presenters at the Annual General Meeting of SAFS which took place at the University of Western Ontario on May 5, 2018.

Gad Saad – “A Tsunami of Maladies Afflicting the Soul of Our Universities”

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Jun 192018
 

Once again Just Right was privileged to be able to record the presentations at the Annual General Meeting of the Society for Academic Freedom and Scholarship (SAFS).

Gad Saad, Professor of Marketing and Conordia University Research Chair in Evolutionary Behavioural Science and Darwinian Consumption and host of The Saad Truth on Youtube was the keynote speaker at this year’s AGM.

His presentation introduces a number of novel concepts adding to our understanding of the threats posed to academic freedom and freedom of speech. These concepts include: idea pathogens, collective Munchausen by proxy, and nomological networks of cumulative experience.

“Idea pathogens are pathogens of the human mind, pathogens of the human spirit that regrettably could potentially be as dangerous as biological pathogens.

“Radical feminism, post-modernism, social constructivism, cultural and moral relativism, political correctness, echo chambers void of intellectual diversity, the culture of perpetual offensive victimhood, identity politics coupled with progressive self flagellation. Each of these are really really dangerous idea pathogens.”

Dr. Saad’s presentation was followed by a lively discussion and question period with the members of SAFS.

546 – At war with trade / The bad Samaritan

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Mar 082018
 

Pouring Steel

No good deed goes unpunished, especially if that good deed results in a win-win situation. That’s the lesson being enforced by the City of London’s crackdown on one driver who offered inexpensive rides to cancer patients.

It all began when a story broke that the city had carried out a ‘sting’ operation and fined a volunteer driver for offering a personalized two-way transportation service to these patients – because she charged a nominal fee ($12) to cover her own expenses.

Though strongly supportive of the driver, the community’s collective outrage unfortunately became misdirected against bylaw enforcement officers who were merely acting in accordance with bylaws established by an elected municipal council. That rage should have been directed at the city’s controlled and regulated taxi industry, which is the source of the trade prohibition being forced upon each side – both the driver and the driver’s passengers.

Called a ‘good Samaritan’ by many, the anonymous driver (referred to as ‘Nancy’ in some media coverage) was praised for her selfless service to others. It was widely expressed that without people like ‘Nancy’ available for those in need, the needy would have no other affordable transportation options. The outpouring of support from Londoners was expressed through open-line calls, letters to the editor, complaints to city hall, and thousands of dollars raised through public funding drives. Continue reading »

The Danielle Metz Show – 013 – The trouble with kids these days

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Feb 252018
 

Outraged by a November 15, 2017 NBC News editorial, Danielle and Robert share their incredulous reactions to a Leftist’s view of ‘morality.’

Written by Travis Rieder, the headline reads “Science proves kids are bad for earth. Morality suggests we stop having them.”

“But morality suggests that we SHOULD have children,” responds Danielle, as Robert cites the continuing death cult philosophy spouted by representatives of the Left.

In conflict are two entirely polarized and opposite views of morality.

The Right view on morality and ethics was perhaps best expressed by Ayn Rand when she wrote: “… the standard by which one judges what is good or evil – is man’s life – or that which is required for man’s survival qua man. Ethics is an objective, metaphysical necessity of man’s survival…” Continue reading »

Jan 182018
 

Saul Alinsky

As the author of 1971’s Rules For Radicals, were he alive today, Saul Alinsky would no doubt be pleased to see his own radical views and tactics resulting in progress for those on the Left – particularly his beloved Democratic Party.

Some of the Alinsky symptoms:

  • increased violence during political rallies
  • the growing intolerance of differing views on campuses
  • the polarization of political forces along lines of racism and the haves and have nots
  • the manufacture of fake news, and much more
  • All of these symptoms reflect the “rules” outlined in Alinsky’s Rules for Radicals. Many attribute today’s decline in civilized political discourse directly to Saul Alinsky. His book has been often cited as a reason for the successes of Bill and Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama.

    As we share the opinions of Dinesh D’Souza, David Alinsky, and Ralph Benko as heard during a July 20/17 C-SPAN debate about Saul Alinsky’s radical rules, the controversy begins with the book’s opening epigram dedicated to the “first radical” – Lucifer. (After all, it is to Lucifer’s kingdom that the Leftward road of good intentions leads.) Continue reading »